"For those of you who are disobedient, we have plenty of ways to deal with you. I hope this is the last time. If you disobey again, you won't be let out so easily. Do you understand?"
The maid looked at her condescendingly, a hint of disdain in her eyes.
Sophie, her face pale, nodded slowly. "I understand."
Without giving Sophie more time to compose herself, the maid took her back to that huge room.
The teacher was not surprised to see her return. Any wild horse brought here would eventually be tamed. She was no exception. Don't think you can escape from here—this place is an impregnable fortress, and trying to escape is like scaling the heavens.
For several days in a row, Thomas Shannon didn't come to harass Sophie. This made Sophie both happy and sad, because she realized that the only condition for her to leave this place was for Thomas Shannon to agree to it. Otherwise, she would be sent to various places to complete tasks that, to her, seemed perverse. Of course, the fastest method was to make Thomas Shannon fall in love with her and have him utterly devoted to her. But this hope was very slim; no one had ever succeeded so far.
「The fifth day.」
After learning various messy things all day, Sophie could finally return to her own bedroom to rest.
Just as she lay down, the bedroom door was pushed open.
A handsome, aristocratic man strode in.
Sophie was startled and sat up, her misty eyes staring at him without blinking. Why did he come?
When Thomas Shannon returned to the castle, he heard about her activities during these past few days. She was the second woman to be confined in a dark room. He'd thought she was a fiery steed, but she begged for mercy in less than ten minutes. Truly eye-opening. From the day he left until now, she must have learned a considerable amount. It's time for a personal examination.
"Maniac, hasn't anyone taught you what to do when you see me?"
Startled, Sophie reacted quickly. She got up from the bed, lowered her head, and softly called, "Young Master."
"What else?"
With a wicked smile, Thomas Shannon took two steps forward and lifted her chin with his fingertips. "What do you think?"
The predatory gleam in the man's eyes made Sophie's breath catch. She understood his meaning. Thomas Shannon nodded.
He tossed a metal lighter to Sophie, the meaning clear without saying a word.
Sophie caught the lighter. Obediently, she moved closer to light the cigarette he held at the corner of his mouth.
Under the light, her skin was as white as snow, exuding a healthy glow.
It was rare to see her so docile, Thomas Shannon thought, almost unrecognizable from the defiant maniac she usually was.